Upright-psanq action



(No Model.)

R. E. LEI'TON. UPRIGHT PIANO ACTION.

No. 345,706. Patented July 20,1886.

1 JV VEW TOR A04 flitorney N. PETERS. Plwwuiho u nqr, wuhm mn. B. c.

UNiTED STATES RAPHAEL E. LETTON,

PATENT GEEIQE.

OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

UPRlGHT-PIANO ACTIGN.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 345,706, dated July 20,1886

Serial No. lf'rlll'l. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RAPHAEL E. LETTON, of the city of Quincy, of the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in the Action of the Upright Piano, of which the following is a full and exact specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the action of an upright piano, having the component parts composed as follows: A is thekey which moves the vertical lifting-post B, having the post adjustable by means of adjusting-screw v. c is the horizontal arm hinged in a mor tised post at b, and pivoted at 0. 0 is the horizontal arm hinged in post B and hinged in pivot-block 8. When moved by liftingpost l3,the parts assume the positions as shown in dotted lines in Fig. i. The pin in upper side of c, Fig. 1", by pressing against lug 6, controls the action of damper, indicated by numbers 1, 2, 3, 4c, 5, (3, and 7 in Fig. 1. By means of adjusting-screw o in lifting-post B, the jack in can be moved to right or left, as shown in Fig. 2, to a proper working relation to the hammer-butt J. The pinf, in upper end ofjack m, moves in a slot in hammer-butt .1 Below the center of the jack is secured the lug-block n, with regulating-screw g, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. e is a spring fastened to pivot-block I), and pressing the lug-block at n. m is the jack pivoted in post I).

Fig. 1" is a vertical elevation of the action, showing the positions after the recoil of the hammer has taken place while the key is still pressed by the fingers.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the jack on and lifting-post I3 and b, having the part I) joined to the part I.- by the regulating-screw 2;. By this device the top of the jack in can be placed either to the right or left, as the situation of the jack to the stays may require. A mortise is cut from front to rear in block I), also in post 13, to receive the arms 0 and 0 Fig. 3 is a profile of the hammer-butt J, having slot 12, extended toward the pivot-pin 23, forming a pocket arranged to hold in place theclastic packing X, providing a cushion to receive the recoil of the axisf. The metallic spring-stay is secured to the butt J by screw 1, arranged to press the elastic stay (I.

0 is a regulating-screw piercing the butt .I from top to interior of the slot It, havingat the point a button. If the screw be turned to press the stays d and P, the slot It will be en larged. \Vhcn reversed, the slot will be diminished.

Fig. i is a view of the guidearm c and part ofthe lifting-post I) B, the strong lines indicat ing the arm at a condition of rest and the lighter lines at the greatest elevation. The top of the post '1, in passing from point to point, will describe the segment of a. circle, both vertical and lateral, from right to left. The foregoing results would not be determined to the same extent if the arm 0 were hinged at the same level with the upper surface ot'the said arm, providing the lifting post should be continuous from the key A to the jack m. In the oldstylc actions the post either ends at or the top is pivoted into the arm.

Fig. 5 is a perspective sketch of the jack on, made of plate metal. Near the apex and at right angles to the jack is riveted the wire axisf. Below the center of the jack is secured the lug-block n, with regulating-screw Fig. 6 is a perspective sketch of the lug-- block, having alongitudinal slit cutto receive the metal jack m, and fastened therein by a rivet piercing the lug transversely against the edge ofjack m, also a regulatingscrew piercing the lug from front to rear.

7 is a front elevation of the damper lever 2, having .a slot cut longitudinally from front to rear. The regulating-screw 3 is inserted into the slot piercing the damperbloek 1. By this mechanism the damperbloek 1 can be secured in a longitudinal direction to the established line of the string. Into the lower end of lever 2 is inserted the wire stem 5. At the lower point of the stem is attached a cushioned bumperblock, 6, which is actuated by arm 0. The damper is hinged in pivot-block 7, having the greater length and leverage below the pivot-point. By this arrangement the strong reacting force of the damper-spring against the ascending action is in part overcome, requiring a much lighter blow to overcome the pressure of the spring.

The operations and appliances of the foregoing mechanical devices herein named may IOU be described as follows: When the key A is ment the key is released the hammer will be struck, giving the post B b and jack in an upward impetus, urging the hammer R against the spring 8, a recoil of the hammer should follow the blow to prevent a rebound of the hammer against the string, also to secure a quick return of the hammer. It is my object to construct an action that will not be dependent on sluggish recoil or fall of avertical hammer, but upon machanical appliances that are positive and unerring on the lightest blow against the key. J is the hammer-butt, having at the margin the lined slot R, the cavity covered by two stays d and P. The innermost stay is made of leather, theouter made of spring metal. 0 is the regulating screw and button,arranged to press the stays from within, thereby adjusting the slot 1*, that will permit therein a free lateral passage of the axisf. The lower surface of the arm 0 is extended so as to form a crank, pivoted at the lower pole, '0 Upon this pivot the arm 0 oscillates, yielding to the postb and jack m and a a motion from front to rear, whereby the regulating-button is brought in a sudden contact with the beveled block a. The apex of the jack ma is thrown to the front, bringing the axes f in contact with and pressing the stays d and I. By this positive actuation the hammer is drawn from the string and a rebound prevented. So long as the key is pressed by the fingers the hammer is both impelled and impeded by a single stroke of the key A. The axisf of the jack in being conjoined to hammer-butt, the mo drawn to a position of rest by the combined power of the jack-spring and the gravitating tendency of the action.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In the upright-piano action, the arm 0,

having the lower surface extended in form of a bell-crank and pivoted at the lowest pole into a flange at 0 all substantially as described.

2. The arm c, having the crank-block 0', arranged in combination to the conjoined parts in n and B b, all substantially as described.

3. A piano-action having the adjustable lifting-post composed of the pivot-block b and post B, with regulating-screw o, constructed and arranged to be adjustable to stays d and P on the hammer-butt, all substantially as described.

4. In a piano-action, the hammer-butt J, having the slot R, with stays, d and P, also regulating screw and button 0, arranged in combination with the jack having the axis f, all substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing improvement in the action of the upright piano, as above described, I have hereunto set my hand this the 11th day of December, A. D. 1884.

' RAPHAEL E. LET'ION. 

